Trailing the Seattle Seahawks by 12 with less than five minutes remaining Sunday night, Cam Newton very nearly engineered a remarkable come-from-behind victory in his second New England Patriots start.
First, Newton led the Patriots on a seven-play, 75-yard drive that he capped with a 1-yard touchdown plunge. Then, after New England's defense forced a three-and-out, the quarterback moved his troops 79 yards in nine plays before being stopped short of the goal line on the game's final play.
The Seahawks emerged with a 35-30 win, but Newton's performance, especially in the fourth quarter, proved the Patriots still can compete with the NFL's best even without Tom Brady.
On Wednesday, left tackle Isaiah Wynn offered a glimpse inside the Patriots' huddle during their late-game comeback bid.
"(Newton's message was) just that it wasn’t over," Wynn said. "He was telling us, 'Don’t blink, because we can make it happen.' So it was interesting and motivating just to see the whole offense put together that type of drive and that type of situation during the game. I really feel like we played together as a team, and we have to continue on."
Newton's Patriots tenure has been a slam-dunk success thus far. He's completing 71.4 percent of his passes and has not lost a step as a ball-carrier, tallying nearly as many rushing yards (122) as the Patriots' four running backs combined (129) through two games.
Newton enters this Sunday's matchup with the Las Vegas Raiders tied for the NFL lead in both rushing touchdowns (four, tied with Christian McCaffrey) and rushing first downs (13, tied with Ezekiel Elliott and Josh Jacobs).
“I can’t really speak for the rest of the offensive line, but for myself, I think it’s fun, just because you never know what’s going to happen," Wynn said of Newton's mobility. "You can be in the middle of pass protection and it turns into a scramble, so now you’re drive blocking. So, it’s one of those things that’s fun for me just because it keeps me on my toes."
Patriots players and coaches also have raved about Newton's work ethic and energy, which helped him quickly connect with his new teammates.
"He’s bringing that type of juice," Wynn said. "Making sure he’s communicating with everybody. It’s not just one guy he’s talking to -- he’s talking to everybody. From the top of the roster to the bottom of the roster, he’s always talking to everybody. So I think that helps."
Wynn's play also has helped the Patriots' offense. The 2018 first-round draft pick has played every offensive snap this season and has yet to allow a pressure, according to Pro Football Focus.
